Disability Terms and Definitions

Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) Under an approved PASS, recipients of federal SSI may set aside income and/or resources over a period of time to reach a goal to become financially self supporting. The income and resources set aside may later be used to obtain occupational training or education, purchase occupational equipment, establish a business, etc. ADAAG ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities Outcome Payment System The system providing a payments under the Ticket to Work program to an employment network for each month, up to a total of 60 months, during which Social Security disability benefits and Federal SSI cash benefits are not payable to a beneficiary because of the performance of substantial gainful activity (SGA) or by reason of earnings from work. Indexing Indexing is designed to provide some protection against inflation. After the first year of disability, a disabled employee's pre-disability earnings are usually increased (or indexed) by a certain percentage on an annual basis. Survivor Benefit The survivor benefit is a lump sum payment that will provide benefits to the insured's eligible waiting period can also be the time period between when a disability occurs and when payments from the disability insurance policy begin. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) The provision that permits the exclusion from earnings of the costs of items and services which are needed in order for a disabled individual to work, which are paid for by the individual, and which are necessarily incurred by that individual because of a physical or mental impairment. Maximum Benefit Period (Benefit Duration) This is the maximum length of time for which benefits are payable under the plan as long as the employee remains continuously disabled. Optional Supplementation The payments made by States to help persons meet needs not fully covered by Federal SSI benefits. The State determines whether it will make a payment, to whom, and in what amount. Blind Work Expenses (SSI) If you are blind, when we determine your SSI eligibility and payment amount we do not count any earned income that you use to meet expenses in earning the income. Windfall Offset A provision to prevent a person from receiving monthly SSI and OASDI benefits in excess of the total amount which would have been paid if the OASDI benefits had been paid when they were due rather than retroactively.

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	Did You Know?
	SSDI stands for Social Security Disability Insurance A system of federally provided payments to eligible workers (and, in some cases, their families) when they are unable to continue working because of a disability. Benefits begin with the sixth full month of disability and continue until the individual is capable of substantial gainful activity.